Which Michelle do you like better?

Okay--I LOVED Michelle Kwan in 1996 and 1997 when she performed her "Salome" and "Taj Mahal" programs. She was so intense and dramatic. I loved her costumes then too--they were so ornate and theatrical.

After her loss at 1997 Worlds, Michelle changed though. Gone were the storylines of Biblical hoochies using their sex appeal to get men's heads chopped off and served up Martha Stewart style. Hello angels flying around in the clouds smiling like the doc upped their Percoset.

I believe that the quality of Michelle's skating has improved since her drama days, but she just doesn't excite me like she used to. The "Rachmaninoff" and "Lyra Angelica" programs she used in Nagano just didn't get me going. I don't like the costumes she's used either. They're plain, ugly little dresses that have thin straps--they make her look so cold. I don't like these costumes. I also didn't feel that the best way to present Scherazade was with a big cheesy angelic smile from beginning to end. I'd really like to see Michelle go back to her old self for the future. I think she has a little bit with her "Last Temptation of Christ" SP, but I haven't seen it all the way through, and the vid I saw of it was quite low quality.

Re: Which Michelle do you like better?

Re: Which Michelle do you like better?

Kwan

I don't believe there is such a distinct line to be drawn as in she was dramatic and then became angelic. She progressed. She matured both artistically and technically, and gained a lot of self-confidence. Thus, she wasn' dependant on character driven roles. She didn't have to always pretend to be someone else to deliver a stunning program. "Salome" and "Taj Mahol" were wonderful programs, but I'm glad she branched out with "Lyra Angelica" and skated it as Michelle. "Ariane" was more dramatic, I thought, more in the style of "Salome" and "Taj Mahol". And then came "The Red Violin", another mature work that was completely Michelle. So, I like the variety of styles, I hope she continues to toy with them and maybe even new ones. "The Feeling Begins" is most definitely a step in the right direction. As for "Aranjuez", I would have to see a Michelle on top of her game to give it a fair judgement.

Re: Kwan

<span style="color:teal;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:small;">I like the Michelle who skated to FOG at the Olympic exhibition the best. Too bad she didn't skate in the LP, because THAT lady would have won gold.</span>

Oh no you didn't! 3, 2, 1, GO!

So I look back at this message and I see that apparently 3 posters here don't apparently think I have much credibility. For your information I have grown up watching skating—I've watched it forever! Yes I was able to appreciate Michelle's style when I was 10. I'm not a [color=red]*[/color][color=red]*[/color][color=red]*[/color][color=red]*[/color][color=red]*[/color][color=red]*[/color], people! I found her mesmerizing from that very young age. Also, I've been taping ice skating for a while now—I taped 1997 Nats and Worlds. I loved Michelle then and I love her performances then even more now that I'm able to go back and watch them again.

In fact, just prior to the 1997 Worlds I wrote down my predictions for who I thought would win—I predicted every gold medallist for each event (Stojko, Lipinski, Woetzel/Steuer, Grishuk/Platov) as well as the silvers for Eldredge, Kwan, and Eltsova/Bushkov. And I wrote down that I thought Urmanov would get bronze—well who knows about that since he withdrew. I have always been into figure skating! In fact, I probably knew more about the history of skating when I was 10 because I used to just spend hours and hours everyday re-reading and re-watching books and tapes about skating. Now, I have other things I have to do so I've prolly forgotten a lot of the stuff I used to know.

So, Mathman, yes I did appreciate her back in the day. Angie, oh you agree, is that right? Like I care. And GBMalwayz, Angelica, or whatever your name is. Oh you...Look Chicken Little, just because I don't fall for your THE SKY IS FALLING! THE SKY IS FALLING! garbage that whatever bottom of the Circuit City bargain barrel software you picked up predicted doesn't mean that I'm an ignorant little twit. I'm sure you love pulling your oh so creative "you are only 16 I am so old and wise menopause has given me so much perspicacity you need to listen to me and my blabber" junk, but I'm sorry I'm not going to take it. You need to really look at the credibility of such softwares before you throw it at other people with no respect for their conception. I have consulted with very religious people about your claim of doom before the 2006 Olympic Games—they have all said that this doomsday prediction is from the Book of Revelation. That part of the Bible is far from unequivocal and many people have had many interpretations of it over the years--there's absolutely no way to tell which interpretation is the most credible (from a Christian standpoint I mean). I don't know if you think your poop doesn't stink or what, but I know that you are not so dang special that your opinion (or shall I say your crummy software's opinion) is the absolute straight-from-the-mouth-of-GOD truth. I don’t care how old you are. It’s a certainty that many people your own age would think that you are a crackpot as well if they ever listened to you. My mother is older than you, and she is a very religious woman who graduated from one of the finest religious universities in the World—Abilene Christian University—and she thinks that your Armageddon theory is very much fabricated. If your going to beat your Bible at me about nuclear war, you better get some scriptures to back it up oh so wise one. Maybe you can put your Bible beating to the side and try to get back some common sense. So there. But it’s okay. I can forgive you, because I understand how hard it must be for you to go through “the change”. I mean all the hot flashes, nightsweats, incontinence, dryness, irritability, mood changes, fatigue, weight gain, and hormonal deficiencies—AAACK! No wonder you’re such a mess!

Just keep spare underwear around in case you have to sneeze and maybe Jiffy Lube can put your fat can up on a hoist to aid in your dryness. Try adding more soy to your diet as well. Try Scan Diet shakes—they’re quite tasty!

Re: Oh no you didn't! 3, 2, 1, GO!

Coconut -- It seems like every time I open my mouth these days I make somebody mad.

But I have to say this at least -- I am 100% sure that Skating Lady 2001 was responding to the "I like the happy and angelic Michelle the best" part of the post. If she intended to refer to the second part, it was in the context of, "how wonderful to be such a knowledgeable skating fan at such an early age!"

The reason that I know this is because Skating Lady 2001 has a total of something like 14,000 posts on various skating boards (including her own). Of these, 14,000 were nice and 0 were mean.

Re: Oh no you didn't! 3, 2, 1, GO!

Okay, well I have no beef with you Mathman or Skating Lady, and if my post was unjust to you, then I'm sorry.

The reason why I went off the deep end is because of Miss GBMalwayz, who kind of pissed me off in chat the other night, and really pissed me off with this thread. This post was basically entirely for her. I'm waiting for her to read this. I don't feel bad getting catty with her. Thinks she's Miss Thang.

Re: Oh no you didn't! 3, 2, 1, GO!

I prefer La Kwan of Red Violin, Black Swan, Beatles Medley, Rachmaninov, Lyra Angelica, altough I did like throughout the years of 94-97, her maturity in music selections and emotions from 98 to the present has improved her skating IMO.

Re: Oh no you didn't! 3, 2, 1, GO!

<span style="color:olive;font-family:verdana;font-size:small;">Coco, while I enjoy your posts, I think you were uncharitable to Mathman, Sk8lady and GBM. I'd like to remind you that YOU were the one who posted the original questions, and all they did was ask you a simple question. A simple response would have sufficed. Be prepared for responses if you ask questions and particularly if you start a thread. Please... let's keep harmony on this board.</span>

Re: Oh no you didn't! 3, 2, 1, GO!

Much thanks to RG for clearing the air before it gets out of whack all together.

I'd like to remind all posters who do not correspond with other posters in private to activate their pm's. This will assist you in dealing with any dispute that arises. It is not unusual that some posts are misunderstood and this private communication can often resolve the matter.

Remember, it is ok to adore Michelle or loathe her but taking it out on another poster personally can be considered a violation of the rules of Golden Skate.